Iran
05.12.03
Urgent Interventions
Iran : Threats against Mrs Shirin Ebadi
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
IRN 005/1203/OBS 067
Iran
Threats and intimidation
5 December 2003
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint
program of FIDH and OMCT, requests your URGENT intervention in the
following situation in Iran.
Description of the situation :
The Observatory is concerned to learn that , the 2003
Nobel Peace Prize Winner was threatened by militia men while going to
the University of Tehran Azzahra (reserved for women) to make a
speech on women rights and the right of custody for the mothers.
A lawyer engaged in the defence of political prisoners, she is the
chairwoman of a children rights organisation and of the Center of
Human Rights Defenders which was created in 2002. In December of this
year, the Center will be attributed the Human Rights Award of the
French Republic.
On 3 December 2003, Mrs Ebadi was prevented by militia men linked to
the Hezbollah from entering the room of the university where she had
been invited to make a speech on women rights. The militia men
blocked the entrance door shouting slogans such as "death for Shirin
Ebadi", "Shirin Ebadi agent from the US, agent from the West" and she
had to hide in the cellar of the university. She was subsequently
brought back home. The President of the university underlined that
the intervention by the law enforcement officers had not been timely
and condemned the behaviour of the militias, which she claimed to be
"organised.".
The Observatory is concerned for the security of Mrs Ebadi. The
Observatory recalls article 1 and article 12 para 2 of the UN
Declaration on Human Rights Defenders : article 1 states that "
everyone has the right, individually or in association with others,
to promote the protection and realization of human rights and
fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels. "
Article 12 para 2 specifies that " The State shall take all necessary
measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of
everyone, individually and in association with others, against any
violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse
discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a
consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred
to in the present Declaration. "
Action requested :
Please write to the authorities of Iran urging them to :
i. Guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Mrs Shirin
Ebadi and allow Human Rights Defenders to act freely.
ii. Take affective measures so that such threats are not repeated in
the future.
iii. Respect the provisions of the Declaration on Humans Rights
Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on
December 9, 1998, in particular article 1 and article 12 para 2
mentioned above.
iv. Respect the provisions of the Universal Declaration on Human
Rights and international human rights instruments ratified by Iran.
Addresses:
- His Excellency Hojjatoleslam val Moslemin Sayed Mohammad Khatami,
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, The Presidency, Palestine
Avenue, Azerbaijan
Intersection, Tehran (Iran); E-mail: khatami@president.ir
- His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi, Head of the
Judiciary, Ministry of Justice, Park-e Shahr, Tehran (Iran); Fax: +
98 21 879 6671
- The Iranian Embassy of your country
Paris, Geneva, 5 December 2003
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this
appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a joint FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the
protection of Human Rights Defenders, and aims to offer them concrete
support in their time of need.
To contact the Observatory, call the Emergency Line:
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch
Tel and Fax: FIDH: +33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18 / 01 43 55 18 80
OMCT: +41 22 809 49 39 / 41 22 809 49 29
IRN 005/1203/OBS 067
Iran
Threats and intimidation
5 December 2003
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint
program of FIDH and OMCT, requests your URGENT intervention in the
following situation in Iran.
Description of the situation :
The Observatory is concerned to learn that , the 2003
Nobel Peace Prize Winner was threatened by militia men while going to
the University of Tehran Azzahra (reserved for women) to make a
speech on women rights and the right of custody for the mothers.
A lawyer engaged in the defence of political prisoners, she is the
chairwoman of a children rights organisation and of the Center of
Human Rights Defenders which was created in 2002. In December of this
year, the Center will be attributed the Human Rights Award of the
French Republic.
On 3 December 2003, Mrs Ebadi was prevented by militia men linked to
the Hezbollah from entering the room of the university where she had
been invited to make a speech on women rights. The militia men
blocked the entrance door shouting slogans such as "death for Shirin
Ebadi", "Shirin Ebadi agent from the US, agent from the West" and she
had to hide in the cellar of the university. She was subsequently
brought back home. The President of the university underlined that
the intervention by the law enforcement officers had not been timely
and condemned the behaviour of the militias, which she claimed to be
"organised.".
The Observatory is concerned for the security of Mrs Ebadi. The
Observatory recalls article 1 and article 12 para 2 of the UN
Declaration on Human Rights Defenders : article 1 states that "
everyone has the right, individually or in association with others,
to promote the protection and realization of human rights and
fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels. "
Article 12 para 2 specifies that " The State shall take all necessary
measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of
everyone, individually and in association with others, against any
violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse
discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a
consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred
to in the present Declaration. "
Action requested :
Please write to the authorities of Iran urging them to :
i. Guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Mrs Shirin
Ebadi and allow Human Rights Defenders to act freely.
ii. Take affective measures so that such threats are not repeated in
the future.
iii. Respect the provisions of the Declaration on Humans Rights
Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on
December 9, 1998, in particular article 1 and article 12 para 2
mentioned above.
iv. Respect the provisions of the Universal Declaration on Human
Rights and international human rights instruments ratified by Iran.
Addresses:
- His Excellency Hojjatoleslam val Moslemin Sayed Mohammad Khatami,
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, The Presidency, Palestine
Avenue, Azerbaijan
Intersection, Tehran (Iran); E-mail: khatami@president.ir
- His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi, Head of the
Judiciary, Ministry of Justice, Park-e Shahr, Tehran (Iran); Fax: +
98 21 879 6671
- The Iranian Embassy of your country
Paris, Geneva, 5 December 2003
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this
appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a joint FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the
protection of Human Rights Defenders, and aims to offer them concrete
support in their time of need.
To contact the Observatory, call the Emergency Line:
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch
Tel and Fax: FIDH: +33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18 / 01 43 55 18 80
OMCT: +41 22 809 49 39 / 41 22 809 49 29